1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile communications networks, and specifically to accessing unsecured WiFi access points, commonly referred to as hotspots.
2. Background Art
The rapid and widespread success of mobile broadband services has sparked exponential growth in mobile communications services and mobile data traffic. This traffic boom is driven by the popularity of smartphones, electronic book readers, laptop data cards and the like that have stimulated a dramatic increase in the number of mobile subscribers and their use of advanced applications such as, for example, mobile Internet browsing, video services, gaming, online banking, online bill paying and location-based services. As advanced applications have grown more common, individuals have increasingly exchanged private and highly valuable information, such as, bank account information, utility account information, investment information, social network information and associated usernames and passwords) over wireless connections. Individuals increasingly seek access to their online accounts anywhere and at anytime through their mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops. In order to serve the needs of individuals, service providers have increasingly deployed WiFi access points, commonly referred to as hotspots.
WiFi is a wireless standard based on the IEEE 802.11 series of standards for specifying how an electronic device connects to the Internet via a wireless network access point or hotspot. Access points or hotspots are devices that allow wireless devices to connect to a network. Hotspots have a limited range, typically in the range of 20 to 100 meters, but often support even larger ranges. However, multiple overlapping access points can cover large areas. There are hundreds of millions of users that access wireless networks via WiFi hotspots, and millions of hotspots have been deployed worldwide in airports, cafes, restaurants, libraries, hotels and in many other types of locations.
Individuals desire to access wireless networks through WiFi hotspots in a simple and efficient manner. As a result, operators seek to make accessing WiFi hotspots as simple as possible. At odds with these two objectives, criminals often seek to steal user account information and access user accounts for a wide variety of criminal mischief. Generally speaking, the easier it is for a user to access a WiFi hotspot, the easier it will be for a criminal to steal user access information and hijack a user account.
While there are some existing approaches for authorizing access to network resources, existing approaches do not address security measures to reduce criminal mischief as described above. For example, Canadian Patent Application No. 2,337,414, entitled, “Service Sign on For Computer Communication Networks”, filed by Tang (Tang) discloses a service sign-on method for a network having a connectionless protocol that provides user authentication, controlled access to network services, and facilitates network utilization records keeping. U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0086346, entitled, “Access Point Coupling Guests to Internet”, filed by Meyer (Meyer) focuses on authenticating and authorizing guests accessing Internet services via wireless transmissions with an access point. And U.S. Pat. No. 7,233,997, filed by Leveridge et. al. (Leveridge), describes a method of operating an authenticating server system for authenticating users at client terminals connected via a data communications network to control access to a document stored on a resource server. Tang, Meyer, and Leveridge each fail to address security methods to reduce criminal mischief to prevent hijacking a user account and stealing user access information.
Industry has developed a variety of standards, such as, for example, IEEE 802.1x, WISPR 2.0, and IEEE 802.11u/HotSpot 2.0, to provide security measures when accessing WiFi hotspots. IEEE 802.1x provides a mutual authentication using extended authentication protocol (EAP). IEEE 802.1x requires configuration of a connection manager and cross platform support is often considered cost prohibitive. Wireless Internet Service Provider roaming (WISPR) 2.0 is a newer standard, and is not widely deployed. WISPR 2.0 also requires a new connection manager and additionally requires the deployment of network servers. IEEE 802.11u/Hotspot 2.0 is a new standard that is unproven and not yet deployed. This approach requires a new connection manager, and additionally special access points and network servers. Each of these security standards provide enhanced security to prevent criminals from stealing information transferred when a user device is accessing a wireless network. Unfortunately, these standards are expensive to implement and create burdens for a user to access a WiFi hotspot. As a result, many user devices and WiFi hotspots do not employ these security standards, and are unsecured, providing easy user access, but also affording an opportunity for criminals to easily steal customer access and account login information.
What is needed are systems and methods that provide easy access to WiFi hotspots for users, while affording security measures that reduce the ability of criminals to steal user account and login information.